1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to crystalline apatite, which is applicable to or usable in a wide range of fields, as a functional material.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, apatite-based materials used as phosphors and biofunctional materials are being actively developed. Solid apatite single crystals, which are hexagonal prisms in shape, are known as such apatite-based crystals (see Non-patent Document 1, for instance).